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[Page 117]
1915.
German trawlers near the Danish & Norwegian coasts. Our patrols had captured an oil tank steamer, suspected of carrying fuel for German submarines, and I think a certain amount of information was gleaned from this ship. It was also known that German trawlers, flying neutral colours, were carrying large stores of torpedoes for enemy submarines, & it was these trawlers which our destroyers & light cruisers were to capture or destroy.
July 29.
Our course was made to the South of the Dogger Bank, & then across to the Dutch coast, eventually working our way round almost to the Skaw in North Denmark. Unfortunately, the weather became exceedingly bad, which made it impossible to entertain any ideas of boarding any trawlers we might see. Light cruisers & destroyers were sent right inshore, & thoroughly searched the supposed whereabouts of the German trawlers, whilst we battle-cruisers stood some 30 miles off as a covering force, in case of a surprise visit from the German Fleet. However, only one trawler was seen, & she was sunk, after the crew had been made prisoners, & then all ships returned to base.
July 31.
These prisoners stated, that if we had reached the same place the previous day we should have made a haul of 29 trawlers, This raid was repeated by light cruisers about a